In which cases is cardiological rehabilitation indicated?
After an acute event (myocardial infarction, percutaneous myocardial revascularization procedures, heart failure) or following cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass graft or valve replacement) and also in the event of a hospital stay involving a prolonged period of bed for an acute cardiovascular episode, a more or less long period of rehabilitation is needed to recover both physically and psychologically. Rehabilitation interventions can be carried out both in the traditional way (in hospital or in a specialized centre) and by using the many possibilities offered by digital healthcare.
In this regard, the American Heart Association (AHA) has just published a document in Circulation (first author Jessica Golbus, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Michigan): The goal is to provide aid and guidance in the development and implementation of digitally delivered cardiac rehabilitation (CPR) interventions that can be effectively translated into better clinical care by promoting health equity.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and although the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation in secondary prevention and recovery from acute cardiovascular events have long been known, CR is underutilized despite having the potential to support patients in improving and sustaining a optimal cardiovascular health begins the researcher, stating that digital technology has all the characteristics necessary to facilitate the use of cardiac rehabilitation through assistance delivered through the Internet, wearable devices and mobile applications, as well as emerging computational methods such as artificial intelligence and bigdata.
Previous studies indicate that telemedicine management of patients recovering from cardiac events reduces mortality by 30-35% and hospitalizations by 15-20%, explain the AHA experts, specifying that current CR guidelines recommend implementing styles of virtuous lives, a correct and balanced diet, adequate physical activity and abstention from tobacco and alcohol, in order to be able to guarantee a healthy life and more sustainable healthcare. And digital technologies have the ability to add value to CR by reaching patients far from rehabilitation centres, keeping them connected and enabling more flexible treatment scheduling for both patients and staff.
The paper published in Circulation describes the digital resources that can be provided in telehealth as part of a cardiac rehabilitation program, highlighting the challenges and future directions for digital technology applied to CR. Our aim is also to provide guidance to researchers to design new digital interventions and to clinicians to implement them in clinical practice in order to improve equity-focused digital health in cardiac rehabilitation, concludes Golbus.
June 26, 2023 | 11:35
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